That’s the ticket

14 comments to That’s the ticket

Gobs better than Bob Barr, thats for sure. I might actually be able to stomach voting for these two, IF the LP doesn’t flake out as they often do and they make it on the ballot in Illinois. They look like the best option thus far, but the Greens and Americans Elect and some others are still deciding. Unquestionably better than Obomney.

Now that I have decided to vote third party I’m actually excited to vote (well, shock the sh*t out of me!). And it looks like I’ll be able to vote for a candidate that supports marijuana legalization FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!
Okay, democratic friends, tell me how I’ll be throwing my vote away one more time…HA!

The Obama is better than Mitt argument will be prominent and is something I wouldn’t mind exploring more. It deserves a debate at least, even I’ve already decided I’m not voting for evil no matter what.

Would Obama be better than Mitt on drug policy? That answer isn’t obvious to me as I don’t know enough about Mitt. Having knowledge of Obama since his IL State Senate days, I know what his actions and words have been (evil, imho).

What about Romney’s record of actions and words on drug policy? How did he run the drug war in MA? Would he be more open to a state’s right stance on medical cannabis policy? Would he be more open to cut spending on the drug war here and abroad? Would there really be ANY differences between Obama and Romney on drug policy?

I’m not voting for Romney or Obama, but it would be useful to know the differences between the two on this issue, or if there is any difference at all.

As for the can’t win argument. Everybody loses when evil wins. Everybody loses when a candidate that wants to maintain and expand the drug war wins. You want to vote for a winner? Vote FOR the 800,000 human beings arrested every year for cannabis. Vote FOR all the prisoners locked in cages because of the drug war. Vote FOR all the people who have had their lives destroyed because of the drug war.

Your vote is powerful. Voting for Obama or Romney isn’t voting for a winner, it means you are voting to turn peaceful human beings into criminal losers at the mercy of our justice system. Is that what you really want to do with the power of your vote, lock people in cages for drugs so you can say you voted for a winner?

There was a time when a candidate that did not support slavery had much of a chance of winning. There was a time when a candidate that did not support a woman’s right to vote had much of a chance of winning. There was a time when women candidates, black candidates, gay candidates had much of a chance of winning. The Ds and Rs (and Whigs) don’t change until they start losing enough votes. Which side of history do you want to be on, the side that goes along with the status quo even when it is evil, or the side that uses the power of their vote toward real change?

You’d never get me to conclude that (fill in the blank) would be worse than Mr. Obama on drugs policy. Heck, you couldn’t even get me to think that Mr. Bush the lesser was worse.

One of the significant reasons why our politicians are running amuck is that people refuse to fire those in office that betray their constituency. Mr. Obama is willing to take a dump on us specifically because he believes that he’s not going to lose more votes than he gains because of his perfidy.

Would Mr. Romney be worse than Mr. Obama as far as the overall job is concerned? Well it depends on the message that he gets from voters on Election Day. If it’s the election results that we can pretty confidently predict will happen Mr. Romney will win by a few percentage points, declare a “mandate” from the people and then almost certainly he’ll be worse overall. Not much, maybe even just a short hair worse, but worse.

Now if the 2012 Election were to follow the format that’s in my wishful thinking brain Mr. Romney would be put on notice that the only reason he won is because we decided to fire Mr. Obama and he just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get himself elected. If he plays his cards right, we won’t fire him in 2016. I’m sure that in this farfetched fantasy we would have to do just that. Oh well, fantasy, fantasy like my dear psychiatrist so enjoyed saying.

These are interesting times no doubt. I thought it impossible for the Libertarians to win my vote ever again. I must practice reminding myself to never say never ever again.

Obama vs. Romney matters about as much as the winner of the Bud Bowl. Both contests are fake and fundamentally absurd. Both involve two crappy, toxic products owned by the same establishment. And both will have no absolutely discernible impact on the direction of this country.

The difference is the Bud Bowl was discontinued in the late nineties. (Apparently, people figured out it was stupid.)

I am sure those that voted for Obama thought they were doing so for one who did not want to see them in prison for pot/drugs. Fast forward to four years later and that is not how it goes. The drug abuse/prison industrial complex has never been healthier. My litmus test for the WH has become this social experiment we call the war on some drugs and Gov. Johnson and the Hon. James Gray are outspoken for drug peace and are the only choice for our crowd.

Jeff Trigg, when asked about medical marijuana a month or so ago, Mr. Romney acted like he never heard of it. I have no wonder where he is going on this or any other drug topic…nowhere. I am sure you read the recent Rolling Stone Obama interview and Glenn Greenwald’s subsequent post? Nowhere too.

Advocates for legalization or decriminalization can no longer be dismissed.

/snip/
“The best thing I can do for my country is to help us repeal drug prohibition. It’s the most patriotic thing that I’m able to do.” It’s an opportune moment for a libertarian ticket to offer a serious, forceful critique of drug policy, for beyond fortuitous changes in public opinion, there’s an incumbent with broken promises and a lackluster record on the issue; and a Republican challenger who is even more of a drug warrior in his avowed positions and such a teetotaller personally that he eschews even caffeine.

Are Johnson and Gray the right team to make this critique? Whatever their shortcomings, they’re ideal in this respect: one is an extreme athlete and health nut; the other is a veteran, former prosecutor, and judge who used to be a drug warrior and switched sides based on what he saw in his own courtroom. Can they succeed in injecting the issue into the general election campaign?

We,the people,can take marijuana legalization out of the fringes by attending every political event for the next 6 months and making it an issue in every political race,,, even your local politicians can be asked questions,such as:

With over 70% of American citizens supporting medical marijuana legalization and over 1/2 of Americans having medical marijuana available,including our nation’s capitol,will you support the people’s wishes and advance the ending of prohibition?

Here are two very reasonable, likable (albeit not especially charismatic) and genuinely supportable people. Ultimately this ticket is much more a result of the ongoing changes in we’re experiencing in the USA than a game changer in and of itself. The media had no qualms about ignoring Johnson before, and has never had any with regards to the Libertarian Party in general. Every bit helps though, and every time opportunity to spread the anti-prohibitionist, anti-drug war message benefits all of us.